Thai Basil in Berkeley offers a convenient option for a quick Thai food fix. I tried their Basil Chili Chicken with fried egg, which was a decent portion size. The chicken itself was cooked well, but the overall flavor lacked the punch I was hoping for.

The ambiance of the restaurant is pretty basic, with simple décor and generic Asian-style furniture. It's clean and comfortable enough for a casual meal, but the inside space may feel very crowded when you have a few occupied tables. There is open seating outside the restaurant, which is shared by all the other restaurants in that section, so it's available on a first come, first served basis.

The service was fast but the staff could have been friendlier. When my friends and I asked for to-go boxes and utensils/napkins, we got an angry look from the staff. Please also note that the restaurant doesn't have a bathroom for its customers, so you'll have to find some place else if you really need to go.

Overall, Thai Basil is an average option. The food is decent, but a little pricey for what you get. If you're in the area and looking for a quick bite, it's not a bad choice, but there are probably better Thai restaurants in Berkeley worth exploring.

Reasonable price resulting from targeting students :)

🍛Red curry: one of the best I have ever had, would make you eat more rice
🍝Pad Thai: super sweet just not something I would order again
💁🏻Aunt even brought more bowls since we were sharing food, super considerate

A decent place to eat tucked into the back of iAsian ghetto with good portion sizes at a reasonable rate. One self-orders on a kiosk or pay with cash at the counter.

They'll call your number when your food is ready and you can come pick it up.

The staff are friendly and there's plenty of seating!

The food was reasonably good but the ambiance and the service was terrible. A meal for two costs equal or maybe even a little bit more than at a full service nice sit down restaurant. Yet these employees literally walked all the way out to my table to tell me my order was sitting on the counter. And, they had the audacity to ask for a tip.

No waiters. Just kiosks. Credit cards only. Employees behind a barrier, like a bank. So-so food. Fast food paper cups. Hard benches. Tiny napkins. No bathroom. OK for local students who don’t expect much.

Honest review, the Pad See Eww is delicious. The noodles texture is very comparable to what youd find in Chiang Mai. I dont know if the workers are Thai, tried speaking Thai with them and got no response back.

The Pad Thai is awful. Its toooooo sweet, taste more like candy than anything. We tossed this and shared teh Pad See Eww

The Pad See Eww is delicious. Prices have risen since I last went here a few years ago. $16 for a dish is a bit much in my honest opinion. I know nothing compares to the 120 baht pad thai noodles walking in Khaosan rd, but $16 for some noodles eggs chicken and broccoli is a lot.

I *like* this place! But last evening something was 'off' - I stepped outside after those deep fried spring rolls and half a plate of pad thai and almost lost it. Before coming back in and getting the rest to go. Happens.

Very affordable Thai place in Berkeley. Great food, very good and fat service.

Thai Hot is spicy without a doubt but don't fall for the looks, definitely taste the food and feel the heat.

Padthai is very tasty but different from other Thai places, in a better way.

Thai Fried Spring Rolls are 3 pretty plate but just ok, can be skipped easily.

Cashews with Tofu curry is very good in taste, plateful for sharing and perfect 👌.

I *like* this place! But last evening something was 'off' - I stepped outside after those deep fried spring rolls and half a plate of pad thai and almost lost it. Before coming back in and getting the rest to go. Happens.

Honest review, the Pad See Eww is delicious. The noodles texture is very comparable to what youd find in Chiang Mai. I dont know if the workers are Thai, tried speaking Thai with them and got no response back.

The Pad Thai is awful. Its toooooo sweet, taste more like candy than anything. We tossed this and shared teh Pad See Eww

The Pad See Eww is delicious. Prices have risen since I last went here a few years ago. $16 for a dish is a bit much in my honest opinion. I know nothing compares to the 120 baht pad thai noodles walking in Khaosan rd, but $16 for some noodles eggs chicken and broccoli is a lot.

The food was reasonably good but the ambiance and the service was terrible. A meal for two costs equal or maybe even a little bit more than at a full service nice sit down restaurant. Yet these employees literally walked all the way out to my table to tell me my order was sitting on the counter. And, they had the audacity to ask for a tip.

Oh my gosh thank you so much for being very best the very best the very best. I love Thai food. And this is really the best

Most delicious food. Loved when I was Berkeley grad student and love it 20 years later.

No waiters. Just kiosks. Credit cards only. Employees behind a barrier, like a bank. So-so food. Fast food paper cups. Hard benches. Tiny napkins. No bathroom. OK for local students who don’t expect much.

Great food!

Highly recommend food was delicious.

They weren’t lying when they said it’s the best. I had other Thai food places before and it does not compare to this place. So delicious!

Reasonable price resulting from targeting students :)

🍛Red curry: one of the best I have ever had, would make you eat more rice
🍝Pad Thai: super sweet just not something I would order again
💁🏻Aunt even brought more bowls since we were sharing food, super considerate

Good food, pretty fast service e

Service here is poor. The worker ladies are pretty rude and are inconsiderate when I ask a question. Once, my friend was yelled at for typing in his phone number wrong and almost didn’t receive his food. Another time, I ordered my food on Grubhub to pick up and just decided to wait there because I was close by and the ladies yelled at me to leave after just sitting there for like a minute until I showed them I ordered on Grubhub. These are just the instances I remember.

That being said m, the food is bomb and reasonably priced with the food proportions (relative to the prices of Berkeley). I will keep on returning even under threat grumpy ladies.

A decent place to eat tucked into the back of iAsian ghetto with good portion sizes at a reasonable rate. One self-orders on a kiosk or pay with cash at the counter.

They'll call your number when your food is ready and you can come pick it up.

The staff are friendly and there's plenty of seating!

Foods are very salty and taste very bad. Service is even worse. Dirty plates, no AC, workers aer rude. After we are eating, as we left, the worker yelled at my kids to put away our plates. The kids were scared. We had to order our foods from a computer and came to the counter to get our foods. I still gave them tips. But they still made us put away the dirty plates. I asked for my tips back but they refused. Would not come back here. Do not recommend this place

convenient and large potions!

SO GOOD

This was the best Thai I've had since I was in Bangkok 2 years ago. Very authentic and the spice levels were very good.

why you gonna text me my food is ready when i have to wait another 30 minutes for it lmao. food was not great. fried egg not even fried either

Thai Basil in Berkeley offers a convenient option for a quick Thai food fix. I tried their Basil Chili Chicken with fried egg, which was a decent portion size. The chicken itself was cooked well, but the overall flavor lacked the punch I was hoping for.

The ambiance of the restaurant is pretty basic, with simple décor and generic Asian-style furniture. It's clean and comfortable enough for a casual meal, but the inside space may feel very crowded when you have a few occupied tables. There is open seating outside the restaurant, which is shared by all the other restaurants in that section, so it's available on a first come, first served basis.

The service was fast but the staff could have been friendlier. When my friends and I asked for to-go boxes and utensils/napkins, we got an angry look from the staff. Please also note that the restaurant doesn't have a bathroom for its customers, so you'll have to find some place else if you really need to go.

Overall, Thai Basil is an average option. The food is decent, but a little pricey for what you get. If you're in the area and looking for a quick bite, it's not a bad choice, but there are probably better Thai restaurants in Berkeley worth exploring.

Absolutely delicious vegan Pad Thai, some of the best I've had!

Best spicy food I have ever had. Super packed with flavor and absolutely satisfying! Words cannot describe how good it was.

I now have my new favorite go to place. I will definitely dine here again.

Tom yom soup and pad see ew are my usuals for to go!

It’s not what It used to be they don’t give you any real bowls or silverware and the proportions are small and too expensive! I ordered a 20$ soup it came in one small container! I hope they change again I miss the old Thai basil

The closest thing to authentic Thai food I've had in California, since eating Thai food, in Thailand. Well priced too!

Yellow curry & thai basil fried rice are out of this world yummy

Some of the best thai food I've had anywhere! From pad thai to green curry, everything is really good. Very friendly staff too :)

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had the fried rice here. The Basil Fried Rice Chicken is soooooo good!

It is a little pricey for rice, but they give you so much that it’s two meals for me. The staff can be intimidating, but I order takeout so it doesn’t bother me.

Thai Basil is a staple of South Side!

Very poorly noodles and pad Thai. Simply serving low quality food because they are in a location where students will gladly eat what is made. A few times it has been ok, but today was not good. Will urge them to up their service quality.

Hard, flavorless, GMO meats. Fake crab meat. Soon will be lab cultivated meats and they won't tell customers either. Its all about the profit margin here. The food is ebible.

The quantity. Its sooo much! But they don't sacrifice quality for that. So basically you get a lot of good food. Easily for 2 people worth in 1 dish.

Order any of their curry and rice. I had the red vegetarian one. Amazing.
The spice level is also spot on. Hot means you're ready to get some heat on your tongue and very hot is a real challenge in this August hot weather.
Overall, really good food and service.

Nice foods!

Really bad food poisoning, you’ve been warned. And rude customer service. There’s a language barrier but I was acting very nice and they were not, and not just the register but all the staff.

It probably depends on the day and time you go but I went on the weekend. I had their Lychee Pineapple curry and it was amazing. Lick the plate clean, good, and it wasn't overly sweet, but pretty balanced. The Papaya salad was also lick the plate clean, good. I just wish the portion wax 2x as much for the Papaya salad.

Super reasonable, non-yuppy pricing. Like every other place was 40-60 a plate, and this was on pay or cheaper than our local East Side places like Red Chili and just as good with a better/different menu variety.

I recently spent a good amount of money there for a catering tray of food. The food is good, but the service is ridiculous! There is one rude older Asian lady that works the register. I think the whole staff can benefit off some good training on customer service. They are definitely lacking it!

Basil chili seafood if u can handle the heat get Thai hot 🔥 💥💣hella good!

Ordered pad thai tofu and only got 4 pieces of tofu.. shady lol. Very expensive for no special reason.

Good enough Thai place around campus. Maybe a bit more expensive than others with no real justification in terms of flavor or size of the portion.

Quick and cheap but really average quality

SO heard some rave reviews about this place when he was at Berkeley so had to try at least a dish. Food/Taste/Flavor: 3/5 (maybe a 4 for college food) - Basil Chili Chicken (4) was a generous portion with rice. You can really taste the basil on the chili oil but the chicken itself was dry. There were some pieces of basil, bell pepper, and onion that helped cut through the dryness but you definitely need some sides to help with this dish

Ambience: N/A - to go only but there are some benches and tables in the center of the plaza to eat at

Service: 3/5 - cashier lady did not seem like she wanted to be there so we ordered from the kiosk instead

Value for price: 3/5 - do note that the menu is outdated and the price is about $1.50 more per dish and they charge $0.10 for plastic bag for take out even though it's the only option

Excellent food and plenty of options for meat eaters and vegetarians/vegans alike. Healthy options too!

Okay, I went here because my girlfriend said it was really good. She ordered the Eggplant Thai basil, I ordered the Pumpkin chicken curry (my favorite Thai dish) thai spicy 🌶🔥

Food: both dishes were bland and not spicy at all (remember I ordered the spiciest level and it came out mild) Adding chili paste threw off the flavor completely

Transaction: We ordered at the kiosk, everyone did because the register was cash only. Kiosk took card. My curry was watery, it was either made with water of very little coconut milk. The eggplant was overcooked but Still tasted good, just soggy/slimy

Service: The servers/cook were rude to everyone. There was a group of girls waiting for their food. An employee came out and yelled at them to check if their food was ready. The same lady gave attitude when i asked for napkins. She said she already put them in the bag. I informed her that the tables were dirty, thats what I need the napkins for, she scoffed and cleaned it herself. Whatever, I’m not mad, ppl have bad days

No interest in trying it again

Tasty Thai food 2 blocks feom campus. Fast service.

Tasty and quick

👍🤤

Wildly mediocre with non - traditional vegetables (why is there celery in pad Thai?) that seem to be used as a cheap alternative, but the food isn’t cheap. I tried to give it a second chance but I won’t be back.

Best fast casual Thai spot that's open late! Download snackpass so you can avoid lines and get rewards.

Solid Berkeley Thai restaurant — bare-bones ambiance but good prices and service

I got food poisoning from there yesterday and had to miss work today. It’s also become really expensive.

Omg it's so good!

Had high hope going into it but the food quality is not there, absolutely very beginner’s cooking level. There is nearly any basil in the “Thai basil” dish. With so many great restaurants in Berkeley, this one is really a disappointment. Will not go back.

LOVE THIS PLACE!! This is the best Thai food I’ve had in California! There drunken noodle has an amazing flavor!!

The garlic chicken was dry and hard. Definitely not fresh. I could barely chew it. Disappointed.

Very nice dinner with my family. Good food. I personally like their Basil Chicken fried rice. It was yummy

Very affordable Thai place in Berkeley. Great food, very good and fat service.

Thai Hot is spicy without a doubt but don't fall for the looks, definitely taste the food and feel the heat.

Padthai is very tasty but different from other Thai places, in a better way.

Thai Fried Spring Rolls are 3 pretty plate but just ok, can be skipped easily.

Cashews with Tofu curry is very good in taste, plateful for sharing and perfect 👌.

Beef Short ribs were amazing!! Totally recommend

Update: This WAS my fav affordable Thai food until they raised the prices by 50%. This food is not good enough for the price. There are MANY excellent Thai eateries that can charge these kinds of prices but Thai Basil is NOT one of them..tonight the dishes i ordered all tasted the same and were very bland.. the bamboo shoots were tough and impossible to chew. My chicken basil had very little chicken and an abundance of vegetables....long story short, the food is not worth the inflated price tag

² This is my fav affordable Thai food. Good food on a budget. I can easily oder 3 entrees for $30. Cant beat it. They only take cash and parking can be a real nightmare. Very close to campus and public transportation

Great Pad See Ew, and good overall Thai if you're looking for a place that is a little less "saucy." The woman working the front seems like she definitely doesn't want you there, but the food normally comes out fast so whatever.

My favorite Thai restaurant in Berkeley. Quick service, affordable, and great flavors.

I love Thai basil from the very depths of my soul. The staff is so speedy, and the food is immaculate. Every since the pandemic started, this place has been my comfort food. There is no indoor dining, but the outer courtyard always has an empty seat. My friend swears by thier pineapple curry, and I love the Pad Kee Mow noodles with high spice. For rainy days the Tom Kha soup hits the spot. Highly recommend for anyone and everyone (unless you have peanut allergies).

I can say, without exaggeration, that this is hands down the best Thai restaurant in town. The prices are reasonable and the food is incredibly delicious. My personal favorite is the Beef Pad See Ew. The noodles have so much flavor and the beef is tender and has an awesome texture. My wife likes to get the basil eggplant chicken dish. We get the same things everytime we come here.

The best place in the Bay Area for casual thai food.

Loved the basil chili chicken! Got it Thai spicy (max spicy) which added a great kick. The flavor was great and there was some sauce that mixed really well with the rice.

Best Thai food,in the bay.

Okay, the price is acceptable.

Oh Thai Basil, how far have you fallen...

I've been coming back for over 10 years and the quality has definitely hit rock bottom now. Garlic pepper chicken is my go-to, and I haven't been able to find another Thai place that make it like they do but today the chicken quality has gone downhill. It's so dry you're pretty much eating cardboard.

With the abundance of Thai places in Berkeley, what this place is wayyyy down the pecking order considering what they are charging now.

Great food overall

Love the pad Kee mao!

Very mediocre

I love the Pad Thai! It does get busy during lunch, but I didn't have to wait that long for my food. This place is my go-to Thai restaurant in Southside!

Good food, reasonably quick, and they actually understand when you tell them to make something spicy.

Bad customer service. People standing around waiting. While a bunch of to go food just sitting there. Won’t answer if that’s their order or not. Got the text to come pick up and not ready. What’s the point ?

I still miss their pad Thai, their tofu eggplant and many of their dishes

Delicious food. Akways like to get an order to go whenever we are in the area.

Great food, good prices 👍🏽

Delicious food all of it amazing take out service in tucked away corner of busy Durant Ave shopping district

The vegetarian food is really tasty just wish there was more tofu

Chicken a bit dry but assume basil fried rice and pad see ew

Thai Basil is a Berkeley classic. It offers a wide variety of Thai food, and has many vegetarian/vegan options. The food is always very tasty and fresh and incredibly affordable as well. Sometimes the wait times are long-ish, but trust me it's definitely worth the wait!! Oh and also, make sure to have cash because they only take cash. Overall, I would definitely recommend this place to people who want high quality food at affordable prices.

Usually good, very authentic Thai food

Tastes good. But now it's less portions and higher prices. It be like that...

It's been awhile since I've visited. But as always...Thai Basil is the best within the University District of CAL. Thanks again Thai Basil 😋👍

I'm about to try the food for the first time chicken mix with mixed vegetables

Good and fast Thai food!

She got our order wrong but it turned out fine. Really good but had to go home to eat.

Got food poisoning from their pad see ew. Steer clear if you want to stay in good health

Great place to bring your friends and family to eat at that restaurant great customer service

Delicious Shrimp Fried Rice and Veggie Spring Roll.
Very good price.

Low Quality, Overcooked Chicken, Watery Green Curry, Plain Pad Thai...

On the cheaper end but I wouldn’t come back again. You’ve been warned 😊

The best, most yummiest Thai food I have ever had!!!😀😀😀 I will be a regular customer there forever & ever!!!😀😀😀

Satay chicken was tasty, with a side of cucumber and a generous portion of rice. Absolutely stuffed for $11. Also nice to listen to everyone speaking Thai. ขอบคุณมากครับ

If you don't mind getting yelled at, this place is good for you, on point food.

Love the food!!

Great food.. ..
Great service.. ..
Quick service.. ..

Our go to Asian food in Berkeley. Very flavorful, and definitely very fresh. Not five stars simply because there's better Thai food out there, just haven't found it in Berkeley yet.

"The Best in the Bay Area....I can eat after plate after plate....yummy! Everything is delicious but everyone has it's own taste. I'm into seafoods so my favorite is the Basil Chili Seafoods, Thai Fried Rice with Shrimps, & Soup with Coconut Milk (Cam Ca?). I love Thai Ice Tea, too to quench my thirst "EACH DISH COOKED FRESH JUST FOR YOU"!!!!!!!!☆🥇☆🥇☆🥇☆🥇☆🥇☆🥇☆🥇☆🥇☆🥇☆🥇☆

Apparently they found a way to screw up thai food. Worst pad kee maw I've had.

The Tom Yum soup was really bad... there was a huge uncut tomato in my bowl and it tasted like pure tomato, it was not spicy at all

Quick and filling Thai eats. I tried Pad Kee Mao and curry stir fry cat fish and egg plants. PKM is alright, nothing to complain about. Standard. Curry stir fry catfish and eggplants are pretty good

Family gathering. Good food.

Disgusting.
Our order of shrimp with green curry came complete with a hair floating in the sauce. When told about the situation the boss lady giving the orders behind the cash register first tried to short change me....then when I suggested the staff wear hair nets she started yelling....No! You go go go go go!
Somebody should call the Health Department based on the lack of sanitation in this grimy place.

Amazing food

One of my preferred spots to eat. awesome location, neat, and awesome service. Highly recommended!

I have been to Thailand several times and stay there for a long time every time I am there. Trust me, the food there is legitimate and taste like eating in Thailand.

fast and delicious

The Basil Chicken #4 is the best. I will travel far to come here for that. Everything else is good too. Dont forget the Thai iced tea.

Very tasty, food price

Pan see ew is great

Food looks great.

Solid Thai food. I can't complain.

Not bad food, but the spicy food is WAY too spicy, even a bit too spicey for me, a spice lover, and the 'seafood' dishes usually include little actual seafood and aren't as good as the other dishes.

One of my first meals in Berkeley. Really just a very reasonably priced and decent noodle place.

Their Pad Thai is always Delicious😋

Really good food friendly people and clean atmosphere my favorite weekend eating spot

This is one of my favorite restaurants, i would also recommend The House to all my friends! Parking is a bit tough around the North Beach area, so plan ahead.

The service was amazing, the wasabi noodles are to die for!